# Breaking in a new pipe with honey... Yes? No?



## Oudis

Hello again I hope everybody is doing alright.

I recently bought my first pear tree wood pipe online, one of those famous Mr. Brog's pipes so popular in Eastern Europe. It's brand new and I've been wondering if I should use honey to help build the cake while I break it in. I have even heard that some people use water and sugar to achieve the same effect.

I'd like to know what you more experienced guys think about this, and more importantly, what I should do if I decide to use the honey (since I lack the know-how).

I'd appreciate any suggestions or advice.

Gratefully yours, 

Oudis.


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## Commander Quan

No, just fill it up and smoke it slow. Developing cake is a natural process that takes time.


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## karatekyle

Skip it. Tried it once, bowl got kinda goopy after. Takes 3-4 smokes to completely burn the honey off, I wouldn't bother.


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## Nick S.

I usually don't, but when I was in Italy recently I bought 2 new pipes, and smoked one of them with the carver... he loaded it for me and before he did he coated the bowl with honey... I have smoked both many times and I notice no difference between the cake buildup between the two. So I would say it is an unnecessary process...


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## briarbrian

I have used the honey method a long time ago, and agree with the others. Just fill it up and smoke it.


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## WWhermit

Nope. When I break in a new pipe, I load it half way, and make sure I smoke the bowl completely and slowly, being careful and mindful of the bowl getting too hot. When the tobacco is completely burned, I stir the ashes well, put my thumb over the bowl, and shake the pipe to disperse the ashes completely around the bowl.

Then, dump the rest out, run a pipe cleaner through the draft hole and stem, and wait for the next bowl.

I've spoken with someone that coating the bowl with honey can come back to bite you eventually. Sometimes the honey will crack, leaving a weak spot in the cake where heat can get through and possibly create a hotspot on the pipe wall. Not good.

WWhermit
ipe:


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## Andrewdk

The rituals of pipe smoking take time and patience, no point in worrying it with haste.
The only process I've heard of to improve a pipe with honey is coating the sides in pipe mud made from ash and honey. Preferably only for cheap pipes or when some damage has occurred to the walls or needs smoothing out, this also takes a long time to cure properly.


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## jsnake

I just broke in 2 and I just got my finger wet and rubbed a little bit of water inside my bowl. I didn't want to mess with honey and water was another method I read about and saw. I also filled my bowl completely and smoked it all the way down.


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## hxcmassacre

No, don't do it


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## Oudis

*Finally... (Re: Breaking in a new pipe with honey... Yes? No?)*

Hello again, and thanks to everybody for their replies.

It seems that the older I grow the more traditional and old-fashioned I am (certainly a phenomenon that isn't unusual). And most people replied that honey, or water and sugar, or&#8230; whatever, were unnecessary tricks; so&#8230;

&#8230; So I smoked one third of the bowl the first day, two thirds on the second day, and the complete bowl last night while I was watching the rain fall down and listening to the wind hissing in the trees -you all know what I mean, that special relaxation that smoking a pipe provides, yet enhanced by the wind and the rain.

I puffed slowly as everybody recommended, and smoked the pipe all the way down every time. I also shook the fine ash round the bowl after smoking, and now there is a thin layer of grayish ashes stuck to the wall of the chamber - a proto-cake? I used the "purest" (meaning no added flavors) stuff I had, a mixture of Virginia and Burley tobaccos, just in case the flavor would "stick" to the cake and be part of it forever -something I didn't ask and nobody mentioned, but&#8230;

Thanks again; as ever,

Oudis.


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## Nick S.

*Re: Finally... (Re: Breaking in a new pipe with honey... Yes? No?)*



Oudis said:


> Hello again, and thanks to everybody for their replies.
> 
> It seems that the older I grow the more traditional and old-fashioned I am (certainly a phenomenon that isn't unusual). And most people replied that honey, or water and sugar, or&#8230; whatever, were unnecessary tricks; so&#8230;
> 
> &#8230; So I smoked one third of the bowl the first day, two thirds on the second day, and the complete bowl last night while I was watching the rain fall down and listening to the wind hissing in the trees -you all know what I mean, that special relaxation that smoking a pipe provides, yet enhanced by the wind and the rain.
> 
> I puffed slowly as everybody recommended, and smoked the pipe all the way down every time. I also shook the fine ash round the bowl after smoking, and now there is a thin layer of grayish ashes stuck to the wall of the chamber - a proto-cake? I used the "purest" (meaning no added flavors) stuff I had, a mixture of Virginia and Burley tobaccos,* just in case the flavor would "stick" to the cake and be part of it forever -something I didn't ask and nobody mentioned, but*&#8230;
> 
> Thanks again; as ever,
> 
> Oudis.


What you are talking about is ghosting, and in my experience it is only a problem with the most extreme tobaccos. I have a pipe dedicated to Lakeland tobaccos, as they seem to ghost, and I have a few pipes dedicated to particular blends or types of blends. Other than that I smoke whatever tobacco in whatever pipe with no issues.


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## tupacboy

nope.. i usually jsut do 1/4 bowls for a bit to "break" it in


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## freestoke

*Re: Finally... (Re: Breaking in a new pipe with honey... Yes? No?)*



Nick S. said:


> What you are talking about is ghosting, and in my experience it is only a problem with the most extreme tobaccos. I have a pipe dedicated to Lakeland tobaccos, as they seem to ghost, and I have a few pipes dedicated to particular blends or types of blends. Other than that I smoke whatever tobacco in whatever pipe with no issues.


In my opinion, it takes quite a lot of smoking one type of tobacco, as in tens of consecutive bowls, to make any sort of ghost permanent. A few bowls of something, even the most violent Lakeland, might taint a few bowls of PA, but it will dissipate.


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## Nick S.

*Re: Finally... (Re: Breaking in a new pipe with honey... Yes? No?)*



freestoke said:


> In my opinion, it takes quite a lot of smoking one type of tobacco, as in tens of consecutive bowls, to make any sort of ghost permanent. A few bowls of something, even the most violent Lakeland, might taint a few bowls of PA, but it will dissipate.


+1 I would agree with that.


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## mmiller

I would vote no, I would imagine honey would leave a very weak and brittle cake behind.


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